The Pebbles of the Future
by Dagorloth
Summary: Short Story. When Bilbo Baggins is met by an unexpected intruder during his stay at the Last Homely House, one can say a most amusing conversation followed.


**The Pebbles of the Future  
**By: Rai  
**Rated: **G

**Spoilers:** None... well none that will really do any damage to either _The Hobbit_ or _The Lord of the Rings_. But it would be best if you have at least read _The Hobbit_ so that you'll be able to understand the context of the story.  
**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner or creator of Middle-earth, nor am I the owner of any of the characters mentioned thus. This is just a fanfiction writer trying to tell a small tale that popped into my head and flowed onto the computer one day at like 2 am when I was listening to my Lord of the Rings CDs. Any inconsistencies in canon or story lines are my fault. Grammatical errors are my own.  
**Synopsis:** When Bilbo Baggins is met by an unexpected intruder during his stay at the Last Homely House, one can say a most amusing conversation followed.

* * *

Bilbo Baggins sighed happily as he laid back in an overlarge ornament chair, at least, overlarge by his standards. His eyes were half-closed as he settled down, deep in thought, playing with the pipe clamped between his teeth. 

The hobbit had spent a happy five days in the Last Homely House of Rivendell since his return from east of the Misty Mountains, a journey that left him no less weary for the wear considering the adventure he had partaken in before that, and was more than happy to take up the fine hospitality of the Master of the House, Lord Elrond Half-elven, one of the greatest of the elves still walking Middle-earth. And though his heart lingered for the homeliness of his smial and the comforts of the home he left behind a little less then a year ago, he felt at peace in Rivendell, and couldn't help but wonder the possibility of living in a place so full of beauty and joy permanently.

He breathed in the sweet smoke of Southfarthing weed and blew one of the smoke rings he was so blessedly proud of, chuckling at the thought of a hobbit living among the elves. "Well that will be a site," he laughed quietly as he inhaled once again, running his fingers through his brown curly hair, his feet swinging idly some inches from the floor. His soft brown eyes drooped and fell, enjoying the moments of silence, something he missed since leaving the Shire.

Absentmindedly, he began fingering the ring that he kept hidden inside his pocket, a habit that he was unaware of, at the moment at least. He smiled lightly as he grasped the little trinket he had found on the adventure beneath the Misty Mountains, as if reassuring himself that the ring was still there.

As he fell deeper and deeper into sub-consciousness, he failed to hear the soft pattering of feet as they rushed into the little guest room that Bilbo had made his residence whilst he stayed among the elves.

A boy ran into the room, breathing hard and a mop of dark brown hair falling over his eyes. He paused very briefly as his noticed the child-sized figure half asleep in the chair by the window facing the forests that surround the home of Elrond. The hobbit was dressed in a simple white tunic with a short red vest and short brown trousers – making him look even shorter. With tuft ears and woolly feet, the boy had a notion that he did not just stumble into the room of a visiting elf.

But before he could remove himself from the room as to not disturb the curious stranger, a second pair of feet was heard approaching, followed by a voice calling out, "Estel!"

The boy's eyes widened and searched frantically around the room, his eyes falling on the bed. With another glance at the hobbit as if to make sure he was truly asleep, he scrambled beneath it. But as he did, he smacked his head on the frame. "Ow!" he cried, dragging Bilbo from his state of half-consciousness just in time to see a small booted foot disappear beneath his bed.

The hobbit chuckled as he hopped down from the chair, his pipe still between his lips as he fell to his knees and stared at the unexpected stranger, to see large grey eyes staring back at him. The boy blinked, then put a finger to his lips, requesting silence. Bilbo smiled at him and mirrored the boy's motions before straightening himself, just as another being entered the room, this time a full grown elf.

Bilbo immediately recognized the elf as one of the twin sons of Elrond, though which he was Bilbo did not know, for the two were practically mirror images of each other. The elf's long brown hair framed his square jaw and smooth face, which was currently etched with a mixture of concern and annoyance.

Upon entering the room, the elf stopped short at the doorway and bowed to the hobbit, for he knew well the deeds that the hobbit had done, and was greatly respected by Lord Elrond and all the inhabitants of Imladris. And though the hobbit did not look like a hero of tales, he certainly had the heart of one.

The elf straightened as Bilbo smiled warmly at the being before him. "Well, what event brings this surprise visit, son of Elrond? And may I ask which of the two you are, though I doubt there's any chance of me ever being able to tell you and your brother apart anyway," he added with a humourous grin.

The elf laughed heartily at Bilbo's bluntness. "It is Elladan, Master Hobbit. And though I wish my intentions on intruding into your sanctuary is as a visitor, I am afraid it is for different reasons I come here."

"Is it?" exclaimed Bilbo with a hint of disappointment. "Well I knew it was too much to hope that you are here to listen to my version of the adventures of Erebor, but the tale is a long one and it would have required a very long visit indeed!"

"That it would Master Hobbit," began Elladan gaily, but Bilbo cut him short with a raise of his hand. "Please, it would do me honour to have you call me by my given name, Bilbo Baggins, or just Bilbo, and not the high and mighty 'Master Hobbit' title." He nodded as he removed his pipe from his mouth, blowing out the remaining embers. "Makes me feel rather old and grumpy, if I do say so myself."

"Forgive me Mas- I mean Bilbo," said Elladan, trying hard to contain his own laughter at the hobbit's awkwardness. "As I was saying, I am merely here for a query. I was wondering if you have come to see a young boy, barely above your height, brown hair that falls at the chin and greyish-blue eyes with a bit of a mischievous glint in it." Elladan gave Bilbo a rather wearied grin. "The scamp escaped from me yet again."

Bilbo laughed at the description of the boy who was currently beneath his bed. "He must be a very skilled little one to be able to escape the notice of an elf such as your fine self," said Bilbo heartily.

"Oh he's something all right," muttered Elladan rolling his eyes.

Bilbo chuckled as he placed his pipe on the bed stand nearby. "Well now, I'm afraid I haven't seen this boy, Elladan, but I'll keep a sharp eye out for such an elf," smiled Bilbo, pointing a finger to his eye.

"Oh the boy is not an elf Bilbo my friend," corrected Elladan with a rather impish grin. "He is of the Edain."

Bilbo did a double-take as the words processed itself in his head. "A Man!" he squeaked. "Elladan, if a mere Man is able to evade your notice, than he is indeed a special person. Or you are losing your touch."

"He's special," grimaced Elladan. "Although there are times I wished he was not. He certainly can make finding him a challenge."

"Well then I'll be sure to keep two sharp eyes out for him, seeing as he is one who can escape you, son of Elrond," smiled Bilbo. "But I still find it rather amusing to know you have a human here in Rivendell."

Elladan smiled widely. "But then you are a hobbit and an honoured guest in our house. I guess you could say times are changing."

The elf bowed deeply at the hobbit. "My thanks sir hobbit, but I'm afraid I must be off to seek out the little delinquent and can no longer be delayed. Anyway, the little scamp can't have gone far." He gave Bilbo a last grin. "And I promise you that one of these days, I will sit with you and hear of your version of the journey to Erebor and back." Then with a nod and a wink, Elladan crossed the threshold of the door and disappeared.

As the sound of his feet faded, Bilbo turned to his bed just in time to see a tuft of ruffled brown hair pop out over the top of it, followed by a face of a boy, looking to be barely over ten years. Slowly receding from the childlike looks of boyhood and attaining more of the sharper edges of manhood, the boy leaned heavily on the bed, his light grey eyes searching the hobbit silently, and his expression unreadable, though his eyes glittered playfully.

Bilbo chuckled at the young boy. "Well I hope you are pleased young master. I had to lie to a son of Elrond to help you. I wonder if there is a rule against such a thing."

The boy smiled widely. "If there is then I have broken that rule a lot Mr. Bilbo Baggins," he laughed. "But then they always seem to get back at me in the end."

Bilbo stared at the boy curiously. "I do not know your name, yet you know mine. At least do me the honour of calling you by something other than 'young master,'" insisted the hobbit.

The boy stepped out from around the bed, revealing the light grey embroidered tunic and matching leggings that the boy was wearing. Clothing, Bilbo noted, was worn by elves, but rarely by humans. The mystery behind his little intruder was growing deeper indeed.

The boy bowed gracefully at the hobbit, a bow similar to Elladan's own. "My name is Estel, sir, and it is my pleasure to tell you my name," he intoned seriously, but with a light in his eyes.

Bilbo bowed back at the boy, though with half the grace. "Well as you know I'm Bilbo Baggins. And if you reveal one word about me hiding you I'll deny everything."

The boy's laughter echoed across the room as he shook his head. "I would not give your name to anyone, even if... if a hundred orcs captured me and tortured me to tell them!"

Bilbo tried not to grimace at the boy's choice to word his commitment. "Well let us hope it will never come to that," nodded Bilbo seriously. "I am in much doubt that the sons of Elrond would employ such creatures to get something as small an issue as that from you."

"Oh you can never know with Elladan and Elrohir," commented Estel sarcastically. "Many times they've told me that if I get into any more scrapes they'll leave me to the wargs."

"Well you do look like the little trouble maker don't you?" chuckled Bilbo. "Is trouble why you were hiding from Elladan right then?"

"Not this time," grinned Estel, which set Bilbo laughing once again.

"I don't think I would like to know how many times you've had to hide from them," chuckled Bilbo. "But the fact you can hide so well is still an accomplishment."

"Survival tactics," grinned Estel as Bilbo chortled helplessly.

"So then tell me Estel, what was it this time?"

Estel rolled his eyes as he motioned his hand to the door. "I was trying to avoid my lessons, work... boring stuff. All I wanted to do was go hunting, but father said no and didn't allow it, and Elladan and Elrohir agreed with him. They said I'm too young and too careless to hunt anyway, though if I bother them enough, they'll agree to take me."

"Your father?" questioned Bilbo, wondering if Estel really isn't the only Man in Rivendell.

Estel nodded. "Elrond is my father, at least he is now. I never really knew my real father..." A sad look came into his eyes, but was shaken off seconds later as Estel broke into a wide grin. "But that doesn't matter because Elrond is my father now. And he told me he loves me just as he loves Elladan and Elrohir, although he said if I got into less scrapes he'd love me even more."

Estel pulled up the one of the legs of his pants to reveal a neat bandage wrapped around a good part of the calf. "This is part of the reason I couldn't go hunting today with Elrohir. I got this from our last hunting trip last week. But father fixed it right up, although he nearly took off Elladan and Elrohir's head when he saw them carry me home again."

"Again?" asked Bilbo curiously, clearly interested in the spunky young boy before him.

Estel sighed almost wearily as he recalled past events. "Well there was that time I fell from a tree and sprained my ankle. Then there was the time I was with Elladan and Elrohir, and accidentally got myself lost and attacked by orcs. Father wasn't too happy about that either and neither was Mother when she heard about it. Of course, Elladan had to tell the both of them that I ran away from them."

"Your mother?" asked Bilbo, having heard that Elrond's wife had passed over to the Undying Lands many years before either of them even existed.

"Oh my mother is my real mother," said Estel with a nod. "She was the one who brought me here after my human father died. She lives here too, but this year had go stay with the rangers up north for awhile. But she visits often to check after me." He frowned slightly. "She always says I'll 'prematurely' age her whenever she sees me, whatever that means."

Bilbo had to turn his laugh into a cough.

Bilbo shook his head in mirth. "I wouldn't be surprise if you gave your poor elven father grey hair of all things."

"No that's Elladan and Elrohir's job!" grinned Estel.

"Although you do a fair bit yourself," interrupted someone quietly and both the hobbit and the boy looked up to see Lord Elrond and Gandalf standing by the door, their faces stern but the glint of amusement barely concealed in their eyes. Elrond nodded in acknowledgement of Bilbo's presence before turning his gaze to Estel.

"Estel," he said softly but firmly as he stared down at the young human, who was suddenly very interested in the carpet beneath his feet. Elrond could only shake his head in exasperation as he took the boy's shoulder. "You are late for your lesson today and it does not bode well not to learn the healing arts."

"Ada!" whined Estel in elvish, clinging to his adopted father's robes, "I don't need to know all that. I have you to make me better."

"That will not always be true, Estel," whispered Elrond sadly in the grey tongue to the young man. "I cannot always be there to help you. The path before you is hard and painful, and I want you prepared for it. Your mother wants you to be ready for it. Why else do you think she brought you here?"

Estel still made a rather discouraged face. "But it's so boring."

Gandalf's booming laugh reverberated off the walls as he glanced at the young boy. "My goodness Elrond. If this young man thinks the healing arts are boring, I shudder to think what he considers interesting!"

"Trust me you do not want to find out," muttered Elrond sarcastically. "If I had one gold coin for every time this youngster came home scratched, bruised, battered or in any way injured that requires my care, I'd have more gold than Bilbo here."

Bilbo, who was lost in the entire conversation, chuckled as Estel quipped, "And if I had a sword for every time father complained about my scratches, I'd have enough arms to equip the entire army of Gondor."

"He calls them scratches," muttered Elrond with a roll of his eyes as he took the shoulders of his adopted son and led him to the door. "We are going to have you know the art of healing, and you are going to learn it now. That way I won't have to fuss over you for every kind of cut imaginable. This way, I can concentrate on the big cuts instead."

"Ada…" moaned Estel, but submissively allowed himself to be led out of the room.

Elrond turned to nod at Gandalf and Bilbo. "I will return to have a talk with you Gandalf later tonight." The two stared into each other's eyes as each conveyed a message without speech.

Gandalf grinned and nodded as he sat down next to Bilbo. "Then I will wait until you are done with our little warrior then my friend," smiled Gandalf.

"Good-bye Mr. Bilbo sir!" called Estel as Elrond pushed him gently into the hall.

Bilbo turned eagerly to Gandalf as noise of the two beings arguing softly to each other receded. "That child is certainly interesting. Although I'm not sure that is the real reason why he was taken in by Elrond. I mean his name is indication enough, or I don't know my elvish… what little I've learned in the last week or so that is though…"

"Is that so?" exclaimed Gandalf vaguely as he lit his pipe and took a deep breath. "Well only time will tell."

Bilbo eyed Gandalf suspiciously. "Why do I feel you know more about this then I do?"

"I do? Well that is saying much now isn't it!" cried Gandalf as he inhaled once more.

Bilbo could only roll his eyes at the wizard. "All right, all right you win this time old friend. Never try to get an answer from a wizard; they have a nasty habit of making you even more terribly confused." The hobbit muttered moodily as he lit his own pipe, joining his friend in a smoke.

"All I can tell you is he will play an important part in history, as you will my friend," said Gandalf sagely after awhile. "Yes you Bilbo. You may not know it, but you may be the pebble that starts an avalanche. Who knows?"

"A pebble that starts the avalanche… how ridiculous," snorted Bilbo around his pipe. "What I did is but a footnote in the histories of this world, if Lord Elrond's books indicate anything of it."

Gandalf breathed deeply, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at his hobbit friend. "Only time can tell, Bilbo. And speaking of time, how long do you plan to stay here?"

Bilbo sighed as he stared out the window. "Already I feel I've stayed too long Gandalf. This place is a spot where no time passes, beautiful and calm, but it is nothing compared to the comforts of home." He breathed in deeply as he thought back to his days living in Bag Ends, a day that seemed like a decade ago rather than a year.

He turned to stare at the wizard. "I plan to leave as soon as possible. In two days even! Yes two days seem reasonable. Gives me time to do some things…" His voice trailed off slightly, as he rubbed the end of his pipe thoughtfully. Somehow brought out of his reveries, he looked again at the wizard, who was watching him carefully, but with much cheer in his eyes. "What do you think Gandalf? I've had enough of my share of adventures here and there."

Gandalf smiled. "Well now, it all depends on you dear Bilbo. It all depends... but you've already went there, so I guess you ought to go back again…"

"There and back again…" mused Bilbo thoughtfully. "Now that's a nice phrase… I ought to use it…"

"Pardon me Bilbo?" asked Gandalf inquisitively.

The hobbit jumped somewhat dramatically. "Oh um… no it's just an idea I have… something I've been thinking of writing… nothing more… a trifle of a matter…"

The deep laughter of Gandalf's echoed down the halls of the Last Homely House as those inside took their deep repose from the changing world surrounding them. For a time would come when change becomes inevitable, as the pebbles of the earth starts an avalanche that would reshapes the very heart of the land and all who dwells within it

But that is another story…

**The End**


End file.
